Oil heater



H. M. REEVES June 12, 1945.

OIL HEATER Filed April 9, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l OR. BY Herb/2P1 M520 v25 DDDDODD DDDDDD DDDD WOO DDD ODD . DDDO Dun-DD DDDDD DDDDDD Dun-GOOD DDDDDDDO June 12, 1945.

H. M. REEVES OIL HEATER Filed April 9, 1,942 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. BY fifQ/E/f/M E22 v2 5 V I flrTX Patented June 12, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE s i p 12,377,901

OIL HEATER V t Herbert Ml Reeves, Kankakee, 111., assignor to Florence Stove Company, Gardner, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application April 9, 1942, Serial No. 438,273

4 emails. (o1. 126-93) My invention relates to oil heaters for living quarters, and has to do more particularly with the combinationof a cabinet with a plurality of heaters and a fueltank therefor, all disposed Within the cabinet and so arranged as to make the most economical use of the space provided Within the cabinet, so that a heating device of maximum capacity is providedwithin a minimum of space,

and with no outwardly projecting parts.

In articles of this class previously known it has been customary to arrange thefuel tank outside ofthe heatercasing fora number of reasons. In

the firstplace, it was considered desirable. to place the tank in a position remote from the burners for reasons of safety; also, it was considered that placing the reservoir within the cabinet would require a cabinet of excessive bulk and this, in

turn, would not. only raisethe cost of the device,

but would also render it less attractive in appearance. 1

I havedevised a novel arrangementwhereby the space wherein the fuel reservoir is positioned is maintained at a moderate temperature, with a reasonable factor of safety, and the, spaceis so utilized that the burners and reservoir are all positioned within a cabinet of moderate size. The

' of this specificationand illustrating apreferred embodiment of my. invention-- Figure 1 is afront elevational view of a heater forming a part of my invention; p r

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; i i

Figure 3 is a perspective view of1a fuel tank forming a part of my invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure -2; and

Figures 5 and Gare sectional views takensubtantiallyalong the lines 55 and 6-6, respectively, of Figure 2.

Ilhenumeral ill indicates generally a cabinet forming a part of my invention. It should be understood that this cabinet may take a wide variety of shapes and forms. The cabinet is preferably formed of sheet metal or the like and is provided with access doors l2 and l3, l3. It

Cir

will be understood, of course, that these doors may be provided in various other arrangements as, fo-rexample, one large door instead of a plu-' rality' of smaller doors, etc. The casing l0 may be formed in such a manner as to provide in one piece the front, sides and part of the back wall, with an inserted back central panel [4. (Figures 2 and 4) which terminates a relatively short space above the base to provide anair gap 14a. Warm air escape vents l5 are provided in the upper portion of the front and sides of casing l0 and similar vents l 5 for introduction of air are provided in the lower portion of the side walls.

The casing rests onabase l6 whichmay be stamped from anintegral piece of. sheet metal;

providing a floor I! for thecasing I0.

Behind the door I2 is a chamber IQ for housinga fuel tank or reservoir 20. This chamber is defined by a portion of thefloor H, apair of partitions 23, 2'3, and a substantially U-shaped baffie member 25 secured to the members 23 as by means of rivetsor screws and spacers 26, 26, to provide airgaps 21, 21. Apertures 2! are provided in the floor Hand positioned approximately below the air gaps 21, 21 between the'walls 23 and the bafile zl'i so that air entering the casing throughthe openings 2! will tend tofiow up through these insulating spaces 21 and thus maintain the reservoir chamber l9-at a relatively low temperature. Airenteringthe chamber Iii-through the gap Ma will further contribute to this effect. This arrangemen-t furnishes inexpensive insulationfor front wall of the casing Ill-is flanged as at 29 to. engage corresponding flanges onthe partitions V 23 and also for the purpose of retaining the door I2, the latter having a spring catch 30 engaging a similar flange 3| above the door. Also, the rear panel is is flanged as at 32 to engage a similar flange on the rear extension of the casing, these parts being retained by means of screws or the like (Figure 2).

.The tank or reservoir 20 is preferably formed from a pair of. relatively shallow pan-shaped members 35, 35 having peripheral flanges 36 which are secured together in fluid-tight engagement as by solder or the like. The members forming the tank may be pressed from sheet metal, making a relatively inexpensive device from the standpoint of labor and materials. A gage 3'! is connected to a suitable float arrangement (not shown) for indicating the volume of fuel within the tank. Access to the tank is obtained by means of a screw cap 38 which engages a similarly threaded neck 39 formed on the tank, the cap 38 having a suitable valve mechanism disposed therein which is actuated by means of a plunger 40. In this connection it will be observed that the tank as shown in Figure 3 is in position for filling and is reversed as shown in Figures 4 and 6 when the device is in operation.

The tank 20 normally seats in a trough 43 with the valve plunger 40 pressed upwardly by the bottom wall of the trough (Figure 6), thus opening the valve and permitting the liquid fuel to flow into the trough. This trough communicates by means of an aperture 45 with a tube 46 by which the trough is supported, this tube being secured to the floor ll of the base as by means of brackets 41 welded or otherwise secured to the tube, and screws 48. The tube 4'6 has its ends plugged as at 50.

Between the respective partitions 23 and the side walls of the casing ID are burner chambers 52, 52. Connected to the tube 46 within the burner chambers are burner bowls 53, 53, the fuel for each burner bowl being controlled by means of a valve indicated generally by the numera1 55.

These burner bowls may be of standard or other suitable design and accordingly are not shown in detail. Removably seated on each of the burner bowls is a burner indicated generally by the numeral 51. These burners are preferably of the wickless type of well-known or other suitable construction.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided an exceptionally compact and eflicient heater and one which possesses numerous advantages over devices of similar type which have been previously known. I have provided a plurality of burners, having a high heat capacity, entirely enclosed in an attractive ornamental cabinet along with an adequate fuel reservoir. The entire device may be easily kept clean on the outside so that ones clothes in brushing against the casing will not be soiled, entirely eliminating the unsightly and dirty parts which have usually been disposed outside the casing. The novel arrangement, including the baflling, etc., renders the fuel supply entirely safe and free from fire hazard so that the most rigid underwriters requirements are satisfied. Furthermore, by reason of the simple and compact arrangement of the parts, my device may be constructed most economically.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of the type described and in combination, a casing, a pair of spaced partitions therein defining with said casing a pair of spaced burner chambers, a hood substantially in the shape of an inverted U cooperating with said casing to define a reservoir chamber between said burner chambers, burners disposed in said burner chambers and a fuel reservoir disposed in said reservoir chamber, means for conducting fuel from the reservoir to said burners, the leg portions of the U being spaced from said partitions and defining therewith air spaces between said reservoir chamber and said burner chambers, said casing having apertures admitting air into said reservoir chamber and into said burner chambers.

2. In a device of the type described and in combination, a casing, a pair of spaced partitions therein defining with said casing a pair of spaced burner chambers, a hood substantially in the shape of an inverted U cooperating with said casing to define a reservoir chamber between said burner chambers, burners disposed in said burner chambers and a fuel reservoir disposed in said reservoir chamber, means for conducting fuel from the reservoir to said burners, the leg portions of the U being spaced from said partitions and defining therewith air spaces between said reservoir chamber and said burner chambers, said reservoir chamber being apertured in the lower portion thereof whereby air may fiow into said reservoir chamber and up through said air spaces so as to heat insulate the reservoir from the burner chambers.

3. In a device of the type described, a casing, a pair of spaced vertical partitions therein defining a reservoir chamber with a pair of burner chambers flanking it, burners in said burner chambers and a fuel reservoir in said reservoir chamber, fuel feeding connections from said reservoir to said burners, each burner chamber having a air inlet in its lower portion and an air outlet in its upper portion, and a hood substantially in the shape of an inverted U disposed over the reservoir with the leg portions of the U extending downwardly between'said spaced partitions and in spaced relation thereto and defining therewith substantially vertically extending air fiues, said reservoir chamber having an air inlet in its lower portion, said air flues opening up wardly into a space above the reservoir chamber within the casing and said space communicating with the upper portions of the burner chambers whereby the circulation of air through said burner chambers induces a flow of air through said fiues to heat insulate the reservoir.

4. In a device of the type described, a casing, a pair of spaced vertical partitions in the lower portion of said casing defining a reservoir cham ber therein with a pair of burner chambers flanking it, burners in said burner chambers in the lower portion of the casing and a fuel reservoir in said reservoir chamber in the lower portion of the casing, fuel feeding connections from said reservoir to said burners, the upper portion of the casing comprising a space substantially clear from end to end of the casing above said reservoir and burners, each burner chamber having an air inlet and the reservoir chamber having an air inlet, and a hood substantially in the shape of an inverted U disposed over the reservoir with the leg portions of the U extending downwardly between said spaced partitions and secured thereto in spaced relation therefrom and definin therewith substantially vertically extending air fiues, said fiues opening upwardly into said clear space in the upper portion of the casing and said space having an air outlet whereby circulation of air from the inlets of the burner chambers to the outlet of said space induces a flow of air upwardly through said fines to insulate the reservoir.

HERBERT M. REEVES. 

